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crumbling away of the earth and stones and gravel had ended by filling
up the ditch； so that only after heavy rains was the causeway thus
constructed covered。 But the bank was still so steep that it was
difficult to make a horse descend it； and even more difficult to get
him up upon the main road。 Horses； however； seem in times of peril to
share their masters' thought。
While the young countess was hesitating to follow Marthe； and asking
explanations； Michu； from his vantage…ground watched the closing in of
the gendarmes and understood their plan。 He grew desperate as time
went by and the countess did not come to him。 A squad of gendarmes
were marching along the park wall and stationing themselves as
sentinels； each man being near enough to communicate with those on
either side of them； by voice and eye。 Michu； lying flat on his
stomach； his ear to earth； gauged； like a red Indian； by the strength
of the sounds the time that remained to him。
〃I came too late！〃 he said to himself。 〃Violette shall pay dear for
this！ what a time it took to make him drunk！ What can be done？〃
He heard the detachment that was coming through the forest reach the
iron gates and turn into the main road； where before long it would
meet the squad coming up from the other direction。
〃Still five or six minutes！〃 he said。
At that instant the countess appeared。 Michu took her with a firm hand
and pushed her into the covered way。
〃Keep straight before you！ Lead her to where my horse is；〃 he said to
his wife； 〃and remember that gendarmes have ears。〃
Seeing Catherine； who carried the hat and whip； and Gothard leading
the mare； the man； keen…witted in presence of danger； bethought
himself of playing the gendarmes a trick as useful as the one he had
just played Violette。 Gothard had forced the mare to mount the bank。
〃Her feet muffled！ I thank thee； boy；〃 exclaimed the bailiff。
Michu let the mare follow her mistress and took the hat； gloves； and
whip from Catherine。
〃You have sense； boy； you'll understand me；〃 he said。 〃Force your own
horse up here； jump on him； and draw the gendarmes after you across
the fields towards the farm； get the whole squad to follow youAnd
you；〃 he added to Catherine； 〃there are other gendarmes coming up on
the road from Cinq…Cygne to Gondreville； run in the opposite direction
to the one Gothard takes； and draw them towards the forest。 Manage so
that we shall not be interfered with in the covered way。〃
Catherine and the boy； who were destined to give in this affair such
remarkable proofs of intelligence； executed the manoeuvre in a way to
make both detachments of gendarmes believe that they held the game。
The dim light of the moon prevented the pursuers from distinguishing
the figure； clothing； sex； or number of those they followed。 The
pursuit was based on the maxim； 〃Always arrest those who are
escaping；〃the folly of which saying was； as we have seen；
energetically declared by Corentin to the corporal in command。 Michu；
counting on this instinct of the gendarmes； was able to reach the
forest a few moments after the countess； whom Marthe had guided to the
appointed place。
〃Go home now；〃 he said to Marthe。 〃The forest is watched and it is
dangerous to remain here。 We need all our freedom。〃
Michu unfastened his horse and asked the countess to follow him。
〃I shall not go a step further；〃 said Laurence； 〃unless you give me
some proof of the interest you seem to have in usfor； after all； you
are Michu。〃
〃Mademoiselle；〃 he answered； in a gentle voice； 〃the part I am playing
can be explained to you in two words。 I am； unknown to the Marquis de
Simeuse and his brother； the guardian of their property。 On this
subject I received the last instructions of their late father and
their dear mother； my protectress。 I have played the part of a
virulent Jacobin to serve my dear young masters。 Unhappily； I began
this course too late； I could not save their parents。〃 Here； Michu's
voice broke down。 〃Since the young men emigrated I have sent them
regularly the sums they needed to live upon。〃
〃Through the house of Breintmayer of Strasburg？〃 asked the countess。
〃Yes； mademoiselle； the correspondents of Monsieur Girel of Troyes； a
royalist who； like me； made himself for good reasons； a Jacobin。 The
paper which your farmer picked up one evening and which I forced him
to surrender； related to the affair and would have compromised your
cousins。 My life no longer belongs to me； but to them； you understand。
I could not buy in Gondreville。 In my position； I should have lost my
head had the authorities known I had the money。 I preferred to wait
and buy it later。 But that scoundrel of a Marion was the slave of
another scoundrel； Malin。 All the same； Gondreville shall once more
belong to its rightful masters。 That's my affair。 Four hours ago I had
Malin sighted by my gun； ha！ he was almost gone then！ Were he dead；
the property would be sold and you could have bought it。 In case of my
death my wife would have brought you a letter which would have given
you the means of buying it。 But I overheard that villain telling his
accomplice Grevinanother scoundrel like himselfthat the Marquis
and his brother were conspiring against the First Consul； that they
were here in the neighborhood； and that he meant to give them up and
get rid of them so as to keep Gondreville in peace。 I myself saw the
police spies； I laid aside my gun； and I have lost no time in coming
here； thinking that you must be the one to know best how to warn the
young men。 That's the whole of it。〃
〃You are worthy to be a noble；〃 said Laurence； offering her hand to
Michu； who tried to kneel and kiss it。 She saw his motion and
prevented it； saying： 〃Stand up！〃 in a tone of voice and with a look
which made him amends for all the scorn of the last twelve years。
〃You reward me as though I had done all that remains for me to do；〃 he
said。 〃But don't you hear them； those huzzars of the guillotine？ Let
us go elsewhere。〃
He took the mare's bridle； and led her a little distance。
〃Think only of sitting firm；〃 he said； 〃and of saving your head from
the branches of the trees which might strike you in the face。〃
Then he mounted his own horse and guided the young girl for half an
hour at full gallop； making turns and half turns； and striking into
wood…paths； so as to confuse their traces； until they reached a spot
where he pulled up。
〃I don't know where I am；〃 said the countess looking about her；〃I；
who know the forest as well as you do。〃
〃We are in the heart of it；〃 he replied。 〃Two gendarmes are after us；
but we are quite safe。〃
The picturesque spot to which the bailiff had guided Laurence was
destined to be so fatal to the principal personages of this drama； and
to Michu himself； that it becomes our duty； as an historian； to
describe it。 The scene became； as we shall see hereafter； one of noted
interest in the judiciary annals of the Empire。
The forest of Nodesme belonged to the monastery of Notre…Dame。 That
monastery； seized； sacked； and demolished； had disappeared entirely；
monks and property。 The forest； an object of much cupidity； was taken
into the domain of the Comtes de Champagne； who mortgaged it later and
allowed it to be sold。 In the course of six centuries nature covered
its ruins with her rich and vigorous green mantle； and effaced them so
thoroughly that the existence of one of the finest convents was no
longer even indicated except by a slight eminence shaded by noble
trees and circled by thick； impenetrable shrubbery； which； since 1794；
Michu had taken great pains to make still more impenetrable by
planting the thorny acacia in all the slight openings between the
bushes。 A pond was at the foot of the eminence and showed the
existence of a hidden stream which no doubt determined in former days
the site of the monastery。 The late owner of the title to the forest
of Nodesme was the first to recognize the etymology of the name； which
dated back for eight centuries； and to discover that at one time a
monastery had existed in the heart of the forest。 When the first
rumblings of the thunder of the Revolution were heard； the Marquis de
Simeuse； who had been forced to look into his title by a lawsuit and
so learned the above facts as it were by chance； began； with a secret
intention not difficult to conceive； to search for some remains of the
former monastery。 The keeper； Michu； to whom the forest was well
known； helped his master in the search； and it was his sagacity as a
forester which led to the discovery of the site。 Observing the trend
of the five chief roads of the forest； some of which were now effaced；
he saw that they all ended either at the little eminence or by the
pond at the foot of it； to which points travellers from Troyes； from
the valley of Arcis and that of Cinq…Cygne； and from Bar…sur…Aube
doubtless came。 The marquis wished to excavate the hillock but he
dared not employ the people of the neighborhood。 Pressed by
circumstances； he abandoned the intention； leaving in Michu's mind a
strong conviction that the eminence had either the treasure or the
foundations of the former abbey。 He continued； all alone； this
archaeolog